Snow fence



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United States Patent 3,218,035 SNOW FENCE George R. Dunlap, P.O. Box 1235, Erie, Pa. Filed Nov. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 236,086 3 Claims. (Cl. 25612.5)

This invention relates to structural members and, more particularly, to snow fences.

It is common practice in areas which are affected by winter blizzards and heavy snowfalls to erect Wooden snow fences on the Windward side of roads, railroads, or other selected areas which are exposed to wind and snow drifting to prevent objectionable drifting of snow. These fences are customarily built from interconnected wooden slats and are adapted to be rolled up for transportation or storage. These fences, however, cannot be rolled compactly, are difficult to erect, and require a substantial amount of maintenance to protect the wood from the elements and to keep the fences in repair.

It is, accordingly, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved fence formed from perforated elongated sheet metal sections which can be arranged in fiat condition compactly for transportation and storage, can also be easily erected, and require little or no maintenance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fence formed from interfitting sheets of material, each strip having a multiplicity of holes therein, said holes being preferably of generally uniform size and punched out to provide a lip pattern around each hole to lend strength thereto. The lips on alternate holes extending out the opposite sides of the sheets from the hole adjacent thereto stiffen the said sheets.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive fencing element which is well adapted to a wide range of uses, it being also contemplated that the sections may be disposed vertically, the latter arrangement being particularly useful in forming various types of structures; for example, snow fences.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a snow fence according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of one of the sheets making up the snow fence;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the sheet shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the slots forming the snow fence; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the units set up to form a snow fence.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the snow fence is made up of sheets which may be of metallic material indicated as a first sheet and a second sheet 11 which may be identical and, therefore, used interchangeably. For convenience in drafting, the sheets shown in FIG. 1 are illustrated with some of the holes omited but it will be understood that the sheets will have holes over their entire area as shown in FIG. 2.

3,218,035 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 "ice Slots 12 and 13 are formed in the two sheets 10 and 11, respectively, adjacent their centers and extending out to one side of the sheets. The slot 12 in the first sheet 10 receives the material in sheet 11 corresponding to the material 18 in the first sheet 10.

Substantially equally spaced holes 14 are formed over the outer portions of the sheets. These holes are formed by forcing the material out in a first direction in the case of every other hole in one row and in a second direction in the case of the other holes in that row. In the other row, the material of alternate holes is also forced out in opposite directions so that the lip patterns which surround each hole at 19 will extend in the opposite direction from the material of alternate holes indicated at 20.

Adjacent the vertical slots 12, horizontally extending slots 21 are formed. The slots are approximately onethird the height of the square holes 14 and are about twice as long as the square holes. The material around every other slot 21 is forced out in an opposite direction to the one adjacent thereto. The material on opposite sides of the slots 12 and 13 is forced out in opposite directions to form flanges 31 and 32 as indicated in FIG. 4 to add additional strength and stability.

When the snow fence sheets 10 and 11 are supported in the position shown in FIG. 5 to form snow fence units and these units are supported in a row with the end of a sheet in each unit received between the ends of two sheets of a unit adjacent thereto, it will be seen that the units will be resistant to being blown over since wind can pass through the holes, thereby reducing its velocity and setting up turbulence on the downwind side. The flanges 31 and 32 help maintain the sheets at right angles to each other. Thus, the velocity of the snow and the wind will be reduced and, therefore, snow will be deposited on the ground around the snow fence and it will be prevented from blowing across roads and the like.

The units can be placed in interfitting relation as shown in FIG. 4. The material of each sheet is formed into vertically extending channels or corrugations having fiat bottoms and sides extending perpendicular to the sides for added strength. The holes 14 are formed in the flat bottoms of the corrugations.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it is understood that the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A snow fence, adapted to be supported on the ground to intercept blowing snow comprising a first flat member and a second flat member disposed at right angles to each other, said first member having a slot in the top at an intermediate part thereof extending parallel to its side edges and approximately one-half way from top to bottom of said first member, said second member having a similar slot, said slot in said first member receiving said second member, said second member receiving said first member, said first and second members being adapted to rest on one end thereof on the ground in the path of blowing snow, said flat members having spaced rib means extending from the bottom to the top thereof to prevent said blowing snow from bending said flat members laterally, said first and second members having closely disposed openings therein for allowing wind to blow therethrough whereby the velocity thereof is decreased, said slots each having a flange on each side thereof extending outwardly generally perpendicular to said members, said flanges being adapted to engage the member fitted into said first member to hold said members generally perpendicular to each other.

2: The fence recited in claim 1 wherein said closely disposed openings comprise rows of vertically aligned holes, the holes in each alternate roW being staggered from the holes in the row adjacent thereto.

3. The fence recited in claim 1 wherein the material of said members is formed in vertically extending corrugations which comprise said rib means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SNOW FENCE, ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON THE GROUND TO INTERCEPT BLOWING SNOW COMPRISING A FIRST FLAT MEMBER AND A SECOND FLAT MEMBER DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING A SLOT IN THE TOP AT AN INTERMEDITE PART THEREOF EXTENDING PARALLEL TO ITS SIDE EDGES AND APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF WAY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A SIMILAR SLOT, SAID SLOT IN SAID FIRST MEMBER RECEIVING SAID SECOND MEMBER, SAID SECOND MEMBER RECEIVING SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO REST ON ONE END THEREOF ON THE GROUND IN THE PATH OF BLOWING SNOW, SAID FLAT MEMBERS HAVING SPACED RIB MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP THEREOF TO PREVENT SAID BLOWING SNOW FROM BENDING SAID FLAT MEMBERS LATERALLY, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS HAVING CLOSELY DISPOSED OPENINGS THEREIN FOR ALLOWING WIND TO BLOW THERETHROUGH WHEREBY THE VELOCITY THEREOF IS DECREASED, SAID SLOTS EACH HAVING A FLANGE ON EACH SIDE THEREOF EXTENDING OUTWARDLY GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID MEMBERS, SAID FLANGES BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE MEMBER FITTED INTO SAID FIRST MEMBER TO HOLD SAID MEMBERS GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER. 